US 11,912,325 B2
Systems and methods for improved automatic chocking of a cargo dolly
Reuben F. Burch, V, Columbus, MS (US); Katherine King, Collierville, TN (US); Howard McKinney, Bartlett, TN (US); Aaron Prather, Collierville, TN (US); Kevin Frommelt, Collierville, TN (US); and Shaq Khan, Collierville, TN (US)
Assigned to FedEx Corporate Services, Inc., Collierville, TN (US)
Filed by FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC., Collierville, TN (US)
Filed on Jun. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/849,964.
Application 17/849,964 is a continuation of application No. 16/531,574, filed on Aug. 5, 2019, granted, now 11,414,120.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/714,851, filed on Aug. 6, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0324500 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. B62B 5/04 (2006.01); B62B 3/00 (2006.01); B62B 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC B62B 5/0404 (2013.01) [B62B 3/002 (2013.01); B62B 5/0079 (2013.01); B62B 5/048 (2013.01); B62B 5/0447 (2013.01); B62B 2005/0471 (2013.01)] 55 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An improved auto-chocking enabled cargo dolly that is towable by ground support equipment, the cargo dolly comprising:
a dolly frame;
an axle disposed on the dolly frame;
a set of wheels attached to the axle, wherein the set of wheels supports at least a portion of the dolly frame, wherein each of the wheels contacts ground below the dolly frame and rotates to allow movement of the dolly frame;
a tow bar flexibly attached to the dolly frame, the tow bar having a first attached end movably attached to the dolly frame and a second distal end having a ground support equipment connector disposed on the second distal end, the tow bar having a raised position where the second distal end is raised and not connected to the ground support equipment and a lowered position where the second distal end is lowered in a configuration to be attachable to the ground support equipment;
a linkage in communication with the tow bar, wherein the linkage actuates from a first position when the tow bar is in the raised position to a second position when the tow bar is in the lowered position;
a hub-based chocking assembly comprising
a braking hub extension removably attached directly to at least one of the wheels, and
a friction bracket having a first end responsively coupled to the linkage and a second end engaging the braking hub extension to hold the braking hub extension in place when the linkage is actuated to the first position by the tow bar.